Eternity
by Aniyu Shadowraven
Summary: Before Aichi met Kai, he frequently hid away in the forest outside town. He never knew that he was not alone, nor that his invisible companion had wanted to keep him. The spirit will lure Aichi back, and punish those he believes stole his companion.
1. The Forest

**Chapter Edited : 1 Aug 2012**

**Aniyu: Hurray! My first Cardfight! Vanguard fic!**

**Anayi: You know, you still haven't-**

**Aniyu: I know, but the block I have on that fic is bigger than this country! I honestly don't know if I'll ever finish it. Anyway, inspiration for this fic? Too many ghost stories, a minor (sort of) obsession with Vanguard, and a large influx of sugar.**

**Anayi: I told you not to drink three milkshakes, but no, you just had to agree to your cousin's idiotic competition.**

**Aniyu: (shrugs) I've never been one to turn down free milkshakes. Shin! Do the disclaimer!**

**Shin: Aniyu doesn't own Cardfight! Vanguard. If she did, Ren would have been randomly killed by rabid bears, Kai and Aichi would have a lot more fluffy scenes, Miwa would be dating Misaki, and Kamui would have already admitted he has a crush on Emi to Aichi.**

**Aniyu: Thank you! Oh, btw, I may or may not include KaixAichi fluff in this; I haven't decided yet. BUT there will be some MiwaxMisaki fluff. So go enjoy!**

**Anayi: Reviews big and small are welcome, but flames will be used to torch Ren.**

Chapter 1

The Forest

Like most cities and towns in Japan, the city that Card Capital sits in has mountains in the distance and forests, meadows, and farmland on its outskirts. On the edge of the largest residential area, the same area that Sendo Aichi and some of his friends lived, a dense forest sits quietly, avoided because of its sinister appearance and sad history.

Though, really, most people have forgotten the history of the forest. Only those elderly who choose to live on its border to warn people away still know of the sad past that darkens its boughs. Ask one of these elders, and they will tell you of a manor hidden deep within the forests depths, abandoned for at least one-hundred years.

The manor once held a family of noble descent that had fallen on tragic times when the family head was killed by bandits just days before his son was born. The mother, grieving and despairing at her son's fatherless future, agreed to marry her late husband's brother so her son would have a father. A month after the marriage, when her new husband was officially declared head of the family by his ailing mother, his cruelty began to show itself. He acted much like the worst tyrannical rulers in history when it came to the servants and vassals under him, and he kept his wife and her son isolated from everyone but her personal servant.

Until her son had turned six years of age, the wife's husband paid the boy little mind; but when he realized how quickly the boy was learning, how his early intelligence bordered on genius, the tyrant felt threatened. After all, the boy was the son of the late family head and therefore had first rights to succeed him; and until he had a blood heir, killing him was not an option. So, he began ravaging the boy's mother every night in hopes of conceiving an heir while turning the boy into a slave. For a year, the boy was worked to the bone but otherwise left alone while his step-father concentrated on trying to have an heir.

On the boy's seventh birthday a baby was indeed born, but it was a girl.

Enraged, the tyrant tore the baby from her mother's arms and went deep into the forest, returning at dawn without the girl and splattered with blood. For five years, the tyrant continued trying to have an heir, but his brutality caused his wife to miscarry three times. As for her son, he was worked harder and abused on top of it. Whenever anyone was caught being friendly or kind to the boy, they disappeared, either sold off or killed for sport.

By the time the boy was twelve, his hatred of his step-father was matched only by his resentment of his mother, who would only give him shaky smiles, would never meet his eyes, and would ask him to bear with it for a while longer.

That same year, his mother finally bore a son for the tyrant, but the man was cautious; he continued with the way things had been until his new son was two years of age, until he was sure the boy was strong and healthy.

At sunset on his wife's son's fourteenth birthday, he flogged the boy to within an inch of his life before turning to his wife and giving her three choices. Her son could be dragged into the forest and left to the elements; he could continue beating her son to death; or she could end her son's pain by killing him herself.

She chose to end his suffering herself, and plunged a dagger through the boy's back, into his heart. Seconds later, she plunged the same dagger into her husband's throat.

The elders' stories tell that she had the boy buried at the base of an oak tree he liked to climb and secretly read in, and that she did not want her now second late husband buried on the same land as her son, hoping to give the boy a measure of peace in death. The land and manor were abandoned as the widow could not bring herself to live in the home where so much sorrow and pain resided.

Since that night, it is said that the boy's hatred and resentment tied him to the land, keeping him from passing on. No adult is welcome within the forest, for the boy's spirit will visit either spiteful mischief or vengeful rage upon them, depending on how the boy perceives them. As for children, it is said the boy will terrorize those with happy lives out of jealousy while any child that wanders in out of loneliness will be treated with kindness, allowed to leave without any harm or fear. But, if a child who has suffered goes into the forest, it is said that eventually the boy's spirit will decide to keep them for eternity.

If pressed, the elders will insist that no child has been kept by the spirit because someone always notices when a child frequently visits the forest and takes them away. But one cannot help but wonder...

TBC...


	2. The Invitation

Ch 2

Invitation

"Airi-chan, Hitomi-chan... Are you sure we shouldn't have someone with us? We might get lost," Emi said with uneasiness, staring at the forest she and her friends were about to venture into.

"Don't worry, Emi-chan; we're not going far. But we absolutely have to get our project done today so we can have the last week of summer free," Airi gushed, twirling about in her enthusiasm. "Just think of it like an adventure!"

Hitomi rocked back and forth, humming before she spoke candidly. "Or, just imagine how much Keiko will pout when the teacher gives us extra points for gathering our items rather than buying them."

Emi gave a small smile at that; Keiko was one of the richest girls in her school, and was forever bragging about getting the best that money could buy. Thankfully, most of the teachers did not grade based on wealth, and it was always amusing to see the girl get pouty because her wealth did not get her the best grade.

"A-All right...but we have to make sure we're out before lunch; I'm helping Misaki-onee-chan make lunch while the team trains today."

That got an adoring sigh out of Hitomi. "I'm still a bit jealous, you know. I mean, not only do you have the cutest brother, but he's a nationals attendee."

Emi wrinkled her nose at her. "I will never understand your crush on my brother, Hitomi-chan."

With that, the three girls entered the forest, making sure to only go a few tree rows in before looking around. Their project was a ten page poetry book, with the poems based on people, animals, or objects they see during their summer. Extra points were given if samples of said objects were included with the book. Emi was only three poems short of completing her book, thanks to the beach training camp Team Q4 had attended, and she wanted them to feature different flowers. She had collected two, a soft purple orchid and a sprig of jasmine, but she was not sure what to use for her third flower. Though Emi still felt uncomfortable in the forest, felt like she was being watched, she was determined to find the last piece of her project before leaving.

She never suspected that she was being examined by spirit with lessening annoyance and growing curiosity. The spirit sensed something familiar about Emi, yet it was certain she had never come to the forest before. Shock coursed through its being when memories of a small sapphire-haired boy surfaced as it continued to scrutinize her.

_"...Aichi..."_

Emi's head snapped up as she heard the whisper of her brother's name, looking toward her two friends only to see them in deep concentration with their own searches. "...Must be hearing things..."

An hour into the search, Emi was stunned to find a beautiful plum tree in full bloom, considering plum blossoms usually bloomed in spring. "This is perfect! Now if I could just reach..."

"Here, let me miss."

Startled, Emi turned to see a teen boy reach up and pluck a single pale pink bloom from the tree. She stared with surprise at how handsome the teen was with his long black hair, lightly tanned skin, aristocratic features, and stunning mercury eyes. Emi was further surprised by the traditional clothes he wore, a forest green kosode, silver hakama, a black obi, black tabi, and waraji**(1)**. She quickly snapped herself out of it when he held the blossom out to her.

"Here, you were reaching for one, yes?"

"Oh, yes, I was...um, thank you."

He gave her a kind smile and Emi blushed a bit before noticing he seemed to be staring at something on her. "Um, is there something wrong?"

He shook his head. "My apologizes, your eyes look very similar to a boy I met a few years ago... But it must be a coincidence; after all, what are the chances I would meet someone related to Aichi-kun..."

Emi eyes widened. "You know my brother? Blue eyes, blue hair, and a bit short?"

The teen's jaw dropped. "Wait...you are Aichi-kun's little sister Emi?"

"Yes I am... But, how do you know my brother? He's never mentioned any friends from before he met everyone at Card Capital..."

A sad smile crossed the teen's face at that. "I am not surprised; it has been quite a while since we last saw each other. How has he been, Emi-san?"

"Well, ever since he started playing Vanguard over at Card Capital, he's been happier and much more social. He's more confident now," Emi replied with a relieved smile, remembering how Aichi had been in years past.

"That...that is good to hear, Emi-san. When I last saw him, he was such a sad and lonely boy. He was often hurt as well," the teen said quietly.

Emi flinched. "Yes, he was. But things are better now, the bullies haven't bothered him in months."

"I see... Emi-san, could I ask a favor of you? I would like to see Aichi-kun again, for a couple hours please. Would you tell him to come to the pine tree closest to the house with the teal curtains this afternoon?"

A happy smile lit up Emi's face. "Sure, I can do that! I'm sure Aichi will be happy to see you again!"

"Thank you, Emi-san... Ah, I believe I can hear someone calling you."

Emi listened for a moment before hearing Hitomi calling her name. "Ah, that's Hitomi-chan; I must have gone farther than I planned."

"Well, the edge of the forest is that way, Emi-san," the teen said as he pointed back the way she came, "Travel safely, and thank you again."

"Thank you for getting this blossom for me, and for being a friend to my brother!" Emi replied before rushing off with a wave. "I'll send Aichi after lunch!"

As Emi turned away and returned to her friends, she never saw the smirk that settled on the teen's face or how he slowly faded away into the shadows. "Yes, hurry and send Aichi back to me, little Emi."

**(Shin and Misaki's Home, Above Card Capital)**

"Emi-san! You're here!"

Emi smiled with a chuckle at Kamui's usual greeting, waving to everyone before going to join Misaki in the kitchen. Emi hugged her older sister-figure before moving to help chop up the vegetables.

"Hello Emi-chan, did you and your friends find what you were looking for?"

"Yep! And I found something else too, or rather someone else; an old friend of Aichi's around his age! He was so nice, I'm surprised Aichi hasn't told me about him before!"

Misaki looked at Emi with some surprise. "A friend of Aichi-kun's? But...didn't he say he didn't have any friends before he met all of us?"

"Yeah, he did say that; but apparently it's been a few years since they last saw each other. His friend wasn't surprised that Aichi never mentioned him, and honestly I'm not either; I mean, I found out about all of you because I followed him to Card Capital that one day, he didn't tell me. Plus, with how long it's been, Aichi probably slowly forgot about him, that scatterbrain," Emi stated self-assuredly.

But Misaki was not so sure about that; Aichi was quiet and shy, but he made it clear that he treasured his friends. She really couldn't see him just forgetting about a friend for no reason.

"When I told him about how Aichi has changed recently, he seemed happy for him, and asked to meet with him again! So I'm taking Aichi to him after lunch; it'll only be for a couple hours though, since I know Aichi wants to train hard," Emi continued on.

Unease settled in the back of Misaki's mind, but she put up a smile for the girl. "That...sounds great, Emi-chan. I'm sure Aichi will be pleased to see an old friend again. He was certainly happy to see Kai again, that first day in Card Capital..."

Emi beamed at the agreement. "That's what I said! Oh, I can't wait to see how happy they'll be to meet again!"

Lunch came and went, and once the dish were done Emi made the announcement to Aichi in front of everyone. Whatever reaction she had been expecting, it was not the one she got: Aichi looking at her in absolute confusion.

"Emi, who are you talking about?"

Emi pouted. "He's about your age, black hair, aristocratic features, and mercury eyes. He told me it's been a few years since you last saw each other and he wants to see you again and catch up."

Aichi thought for a long moment, but shook his head. "Emi, I don't remember ever meeting anyone by that description. Are you sure he said we knew each other?"

"I'm positive he did; he even said my eyes looked like yours, and when I described you to make sure we were talking about the same person, he knew I was your sister. He even said my name and I never introduced myself."

If anything, that made Aichi even more confused. "This makes no sense, I'm positive I would remember having a friend by that description, but I don't. I didn't have any friends before I came to Card Capital... Where did you meet him, Emi?"

"My friends and I were gathering samples for our summer project in the forest on the outskirts. I met him by a plum tree there; he even got one of the blossoms down for me," Emi replied, pulling out her poem book and showing everyone the pressed plum blossom.

While Aichi and Shin looked at the blossom more closely, Miwa shocked everyone by scolding Emi. "Emi-chan, what were you and your friends doing going in there by yourselves? That place is dangerous, and you could have gotten lost. There's no telling what lives in there; plus, there are a lot of accounts of a violent spirit that haunts that forest. You could have gotten hurt."

Emi scowled. "But nothing like that happened, Miwa-san! And ghosts aren't real, so you can't scare me like that."

Before an argument could break out, Aichi interrupted. "While I do believe in spirits, I don't recall ever meeting one in there, or getting lost. But Miwa-kun is right in that you could have gotten hurt, Emi; you need to be more careful."

Everyone looked at Aichi in some surprise while Miwa asked, "You've been in there before, Aichi?"

"Yes; I went there frequently when I was younger. At first it was to avoid people, since I was bullied so often, but then I started going there just to think. I think the last time I went in there was...the day before I met Kai-kun, when he gave me Blaster Blade. Thinking back, I had been on my way to the forest when he distracted me. Before I knew it, a week had passed without me feeling like I needed to go to the forest, so I just never went back," Aichi explained, pausing for a moment before continuing, "I don't recall anything happening whenever I was there, nor did I ever meet anyone in there. Of course, that doesn't mean there was nothing there..."

"But that doesn't explain how that boy knows you enough to know me by name," Emi pointed out. "C'mon Aichi, let me take you to the place he wanted to meet you; maybe it will trigger a memory! He just wants to talk for a couple hours; where's the harm in that?"

"A lot if he's not who he says he is," Miwa muttered with a frown.

Looking at Emi's determined face, Aichi sighed. "If it will make you happy, Emi, I will go. But, if I don't recognize him, we're coming straight back here."

Emi smiled and nodded her agreement while the others all looked uneasy. Aichi set his deck and side deck on the living room table, asking Kamui to keep an eye on them for him until he got back. Before anyone could really argue with the pair, Aichi and Emi were out the door and gone.

"...Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?" Miwa looked at everyone with deep worry, feeling worse when he got nods from them all, even Kai.

TBC...

**(1) Looked up the Shinigami uniform for Bleach, since that was what I pictured the spirit in.**


	3. AN Explanation Still Alive

To everyone who has reviewed this story, **NO I am not abandoning this**.

My life right now is...not at a high point. To condense what will likely sound like a pathetic sob story: I have been completely unable to find a job since graduating high school in 2008, so I've basically got no choice but to try college. My classes will (if nothing goes wrong) start next month, and well, on top of having unsolved severe depression, being socially awkward, being completely worried out of my mind about how I'm going to pay off the student loans I have to take out when no one seems to want to hire a girl in her early 20s who's never had a job before... Well, let's just say I've been a nervous wreck for most of this year.

My state of mind effected my ability to write to the point where I looked at what I had for the next chapter and threw it out completely because I felt it was pathetic back in March. In a bid to try and help me get back into a not-so-wrecked state, my sister has been co-writing a Hetalia/HetaOni/HP/Bleach crossover fic with me (something which I'm still not sure I'm going to post or not), and it (plus the backstory) has been taking up a lot of my attention.

I have been jotting down some things for the next chapter of this story, but for most of them to fit with my original idea, I'm going to need to go back and change a few things about Chapter 2. I...really have no idea when I'll be done with that, or with the next chapter, but I have no intention of abandoning this story. I just ask you to bare with me for a while, I AM working on it. Don't give up on me just yet.


End file.
